More handpicked essays just for you.
The psychosocial effects of trauma on children
The psychosocial effects of trauma on children
Effects of childhood trauma in adulthood literature review
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Finding Nemo is the story of a clownfish, Marlin, who’s only son gets taken by Australian scuba divers. Marlin, even with plenty of grief over losing his wife and other babies, goes through great lengths, fears and people to get his son back. He meets other animals and learns from them the importance of living your life and not worrying about the past as he tries to get his son Nemo back. Marlin the clownfish from Finding Nemo is the father of Nemo the clownfish. Marlin lost his wife and babies, except Nemo, to a barracuda. Because of that, Marlin is very protective of his son. He often has flashbacks of his wife and babies in that horrible situation and get’s more protective of Nemo. Nemo also gets taken by suba divers, increasing his father’s …show more content…
anxiety and PTSD. In my opinion, Marlin shows signs of PTSD or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The three main symptoms of PTSD are re-experiencing the event, avoiding reminders of the event, and increased anxiety and emotional arousal.
PTSD is triggered by trauma. It is a stress related disorder. Marlin sees flashbacks of the day his wife and babies were eaten, because of the flashbacks he experiences anxiety and panic. Also, Nemo, doesn’t like his father being that controlling with him. PTSD not only affects the person experiencing it, but also the family. Nemo deifies his father whenever he can because he believes his father is just scared for no reason. The first thing Marlin says to Nemo after finding him still alive after the attack is, “I promise I won’t ever let anything happen to you, Nemo”. By him saying that to Nemo, he promises him that he will never let anything happen to his son. On Nemo’s first day of school, Marlin makes Nemo repeat something that he was told, “What’s the first rule about the ocean?” “It’s not safe.” This shows that Marlins PTSD is out of control. He believes the place he calls home is no longer safe for him or his son. It can be said that because of how much Marlin cares for his son and because of the traumatic death of his wife and children, his PTSD is taking control of his …show more content…
life. In the DSM V, it is clearer of what is defined as a traumatic event. The exposure must result from one or more of the following scenarios, in which the individual directly experiences the traumatic event, witnesses the traumatic event in person, learns that the traumatic event occurred to a close family member or close friend or experiences first-hand repeated or extreme exposure to aversive details of the traumatic event. Marlin directly experienced all of the scenarios that led to his PTSD. He directly experienced the traumatic event of his wife and babies get eaten by a barracuda; he saw it happen. Throughout the movie, Marlin re-experiences the event. Nemo’s small fin brings up the bad memories of the event and also increases his anxiety of leaving him alone. Nemo having a bad fin is a result of his egg falling when the barracuda attacked. Marlin’s PTSD symptoms are very high when it comes to his son. He’s the only one left of his family so he’s more inclined to feel anxious. It’s not that Marlin wanted to feel this way; he just can’t help it. Losing his wife and children and only having Nemo left triggered a fight or flight response in him. I believe that these traumatic events that trigger PTSD enhance the flight or fight response. A fight or flight response is a physiological reaction that occurs in response to perceived harmful event, attack or threat to survival. Most people with PTSD experience anxiety and panic. They don’t know how to handle all their emotions if they are reminded of the event and end up having either an anxiety or panic attack. Marlin didn’t let Nemo start “fish school” on time because he was anxious about sending him alone. Marlin also had anxiety anytime he had to leave him home. He makes a comment to Nemo on his first day of school, “maybe we should just try this again next year.” He didn’t want to leave the comfort of his house because of the unknown of the open sea. Marlin had a panic attack when Nemo was taken by the scuba divers. Nemo is the only one left in his family. Nemo also has a disability and Marlin thinks it could kill him because he wouldn’t be able to swim. That small fin is also a constant reminder to Marlin of him losing his wife and other children. Something to consider is that the mom chose to dive down when the shark was seen to protect her babies; Marlin was just slow to get to her before the barracuda did. After having lost almost everything he felt near and dear, seeing the egg Nemo was in, gave Marlin hope to having a peace of his wife still with him. Instead of a normal childhood, Nemo is told to be scared of everything because Marlin was scared of the open ocean. For his therapy treatment, Marlin must go on an adventure to find his son. He meets some very interesting characters along the way that help him realize it wasn’t his fault and that he shouldn’t be scared of everything around him. The open ocean is what scared him and in the open ocean is where he finds his relief. The sea turtles on the Eastern Australia Current help him realize that he can’t be in control of everything that happens in his life. They have a very chill vibe to them, kind of like medication would help others mellow out. Dory is known for her trademark short-term memory loss; by interacting with someone who can only live moment to moment, Marlin slowly begins to understand that he has held on to the memory of his loved ones for too long. He realizes he needs to let go of the fears and the memories of that awful event and live his life like Dory does, treat everyday like a brand new day. I feel like the film, to an extent, respectfully represented the disorder. The film starts off with such a traumatic event, that the viewer sort of feels that the coming actions are justified. He’s just scared to lose his only son. The viewers understand why he’d be so protective of Nemo after losing his wife and other children. I view the journey as his treatment and medication to rid himself of the PTSD but I don’t that the journey rid him of all his symptoms. The ending portrays that Marlin suddenly just accepts all these changes in his life after bring home his son and without hesitation sends Nemo off to school. I don’t believe that it just happens like that in real life. Yes, therapy and medication does help; opening yourself up to the world around does help but it doesn’t just make you do things without some hesitation. The sharks, in my opinion, are the temptation to go back to how you were before the help. They all say, “sharks are friends not food”, but as soon as Dory starts bleeding and they smell her blood, they want to eat them. I portray that as facing your fears head on after receiving some help but just not being ready to let go of your past. They way this film was presented was accurate in describing PTSD. The fear and anxiety that come along with PTSD were portrayed very well. Marlin feared having his son die, after his brothers and sisters were eaten. PTSD can, not only happen in adults or military personal but it can also happen to children.
Children and teens could have PTSD if they have lived through a traumatic event that could have caused them harm or someone they knew harm. These events include, but are not limited to, sexual abuse, the loss of a parent, living through physical abuse, being kidnapped and having someone they know die. These children may have flashbacks or problems remembering parts of the trauma, the way adults with PTSD do. One thing with children who have PTSD is that they might put the events in the wrong order, not fully remembering how something happened. They might also think there were signs that the trauma was going to happen; they think that next time something traumatic is to happen to them, they will see the signs and be able to avoid it. Children with PTSD might also bring out their problems with play. They repeat a part of their experience over and over again in their play. Nemo, doesn’t seem to have any disorders or illnesses. It can be said that he defies his father because of how controlling he
is. Overall, Marlin displays the classic symptoms of PTSD. His anxiety and fear prevent him from living his life and his controlling behavior affects his son, Nemo. It’s important to understand that mental illnesses affect not just the person experiencing it but their family members too. His journey to get his son back turns into his treatment to let go of the past and learn to live his life. In an overall fashion, the film portrayed the condition very well with the symptoms of PTSD shown in Marlin. He learns to let go from the strangers he meets and learns to be a better father to his son Nemo.
“Post traumatic stress disorder is a debilitating condition that follows a terrifying event” (Marilyn 8). It occurs when one has witnessed or experienced a traumatic event, such as war, child abuse, or other types of violence. Victims may claim to relive or re-experience events that were traumatic to them. They may even “feel” or “hear” things from the event. Other symptoms may include: “forgetfulness…amnesia, excessive fantasizing…trancelike states…imaginary companion, sleepwalking, and blackouts” (Putman 2). A lot of times, coping mechanisms fail and the following inner dissonance can lead to a multiplicity of upsetting emotional and physical symptoms (Robert Saperstein 2). Some children suffering from PTSD may show traumatic play. This refers to the reenactment of a traumatic experience. Usually, children will change the ending to make it happier. This is an extreme example of using the imagination as a way to escape the terrible memories. Billy has all the symptoms associated with the disorder as he also used his imagination to escape his bad memories.
In Finding Nemo, the audience sees how Marlin has a call to adventure which is a typical feature of the archetypal hero’s life. Marlin’s son Nemo was at his first day at school, he wants to show how he was not a
In the movie Finding Nemo, there is a father name Marlin, and a little son named Nemo. The personality of Nemo is he is an off the wall little clown fish that likes to take chances and is what we would call a hyper-active child. He likes to bounce around, take adventures without his dad being around, and somewhat despises his dad for always wanting to be right by his side. Till the day that acting out gets him in trouble. One day heading to school him and his dad, Marlin, get in an argument that makes Nemo want to rebel just like a little child would. So while at school he wants to prove to everyone that he can do everything anyone else could just ...
When the body senses fear or danger the sympathetic nervous system stimulates the adrenal medulla to produce epinephrine and norepinephrine. This is known as the fight-or-fight response. The amygdala is also involved in forming memories and learning and can also detect stimuli that is threatening. If the stress response is prolonged the fight-or-fight response can become prolonged. Most people who are going through a stressful event, will get over it eventually but sometimes traumatic events can create long lasting, vivid memories that are known as flashbulb memories. When traumatic memories are intense and prolonged some people might develop PTSD, just like the patients in the articles. In people who have PTSD, they have anxiety, sleep disturbances, irritability, and have recurring memories of the traumatic events. Life is filled with many potential stressors, any situation can cause stress if a person doesn’t have the sources or the coping ability to get through the situation. Stress impacts the brain, research has shown that people who are under chronic stress have shorter telomeres. Stress also adds fat to the abdomen, and unravels chromosomes, reducing immune system functioning, and increases rick of
“The essential psychological effect of trauma is a shattering of innocence” (Margolies). A shattering of innocence means that a person can never look at the world in the same way because they are always afraid of another traumatic event. “In order to be diagnosed with PTSD, a person must have three different types of symptoms: re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance and numbing symptoms, and arousal symptoms” ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."). Re-experiencing symptoms include ones that are triggered by past memories of the situation. Avoidance and numbing symptoms occur when the person is trying to avoid everything related to the event such as certain locations or television shows that could have a possible relation to the traumatic event. Arousal symptoms happen when the victim is constantly alert for another traumatic event. One of the most serious effects of PTSD is that the victims “may develop additional disorders such as depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other problems of physical and mental health” ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."). Substance abuse, for example, can drastically change the human body mentally and physically. These effects and symptoms usually last longer than 3 months
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, is an anxiety disorder that can develop after a traumatic event (Riley). A more in depth definition of the disorder is given by Doctor’s Nancy Piotrowski and Lillian Range, “A maladaptive condition resulting from exposure to events beyond the realm of normal human experience and characterized by persistent difficulties involving emotional numbing, intense fear, helplessness, horror, re-experiencing of trauma, avoidance, and arousal.” People who suffer from this disease have been a part of or seen an upsetting event that haunts them after the event, and sometimes the rest of their lives. There are nicknames for this disorder such as “shell shock”, “combat neurosis”, and “battle fatigue” (Piotrowski and Range). “Battle fatigue” and “combat neurosis” refer to soldiers who have been overseas and seen disturbing scenes that cause them anxiety they will continue to have when they remember their time spent in war. It is common for a lot of soldiers to be diagnosed with PTSD when returning from battle. Throughout the history of wars American soldiers have been involved in, each war had a different nickname for what is now PTSD (Pitman et al. 769). At first, PTSD was recognized and diagnosed as a personality disorder until after the Vietnam Veterans brought more attention to the disorder, and in 1980 it became a recognized anxiety disorder (Piotrowski and Range). There is not one lone cause of PTSD, and symptoms can vary from hallucinations to detachment of friends and family, making a diagnosis more difficult than normal. To treat and in hopes to prevent those who have this disorder, the doctor may suggest different types of therapy and also prescribe medication to help subside the sympt...
PTSD is defined as mental health disorder triggered by a terrifying event (Mayoclinic). This ordeal could be the result of some sort of physical harm or threat to the individual, family members, friends or even strangers. (NIMH) While PTSD is typically associated with someone who has served in the military, it can affect more than just that genre of individuals. It could affect rape victims, victims in a terrorist or natural disaster incident, nurses, doctors, and police and fire personnel and bystanders. PTSD can manifest itself in many forms. The primary signs and symptoms of PTSD include but are not limited to re-experiencing symptoms (flashbacks, bad dreams, frightening thoughts), avoidance of places, situations, or events that may cause those memories to resurface, and hyperarousal symptoms (easily startled, feeling tense or on edge) (NIMH). Other symptoms may include not having positive or loving feelings toward other people, staying away from relationships, may forget about parts of the traumatic event or not be able to talk about them, may think the world is completely dangerous, and no one can be trusted.
PTSD, also known as post-traumatic stress disorder, is an anxiety disorder. It affects people that have experienced, witnessed, or were confronted with a life threatening event. It can cause flashbacks, depression, nightmares, and change of mood. Other common symptoms of PTSD are difficulty sleeping, anger outbursts, decreased interest in activities, avoidance of people and places that can trigger a memory, and inability to recall part of the trauma. Symptoms can occur right after the incident but also much later in life. Other common occurrences with PTSD are depression, suicide, and alcohol or drug abuse (FAQs about PTSD).
PTSD is a debilitating mental illness that occurs when someone is exposed to a traumatic, dangerous, frightening, or a possibly life-threating occurrence. “It is an anxiety disorder that can interfere with your relationships, your work, and your social life.” (Muscari, pp. 3-7) Trauma affects everyone in different ways. Everyone feels wide ranges of emotions after going through or witnessing a traumatic event, fear, sadness and depression, it can cause changes in your everyday life as in your sleep and eating patterns. Some people experience reoccurring thoughts and nightmares about the event.
PTSD is a mental disorder that comes from suffering from traumatic events. Normally, society has seen it being a war-related disorder. Veterans Healthcare Administration considers PTSD, “medically recognized anxiety disorder that occurs in normal individuals under extremely stressful conditions” (3). Sufferers of PTSD can also be children as traumatic events like natural disasters, abuse, and many other events in which people of any age still struggle to cope with becomes a life-long uphill battle to get over. Even for myself, I suffer from PTSD, and I do not look for sympathy from my audience, but for others to second-handedly understand towards not just the children, but all sufferers of PTSD.
Finally, a child who is suffering from PTSD is likely to be vulnerable to further abuse and will often inflict it on himself or herself as well as allowing it from others. This disorder develops specifically because of an inability to feel safe during the developmental years that results in an inability to feel calm and safe. The constant anxiety creates a hyperactive and mental state of worry. It also manifests with typical physiological indicators of stress such as headaches, behavior issues, digestive distress, general achiness and stiffness of joints, and difficulty breathing (Herman, 1992, pgs.
Marlin is a clownfish who, along with his wife, lives on the edge of a coral reef in an anemone. He is what anyone can guess, a "newlywed." He, along with his wife Coral, lives in the anemone where they have just laid a spawn of eggs. They come to a quick decision of what to name their children. Half will be named Marlin Jr. and the other half will be named Coral Jr. Although there decisions were made quickly Coral wants to name one child Nemo.
In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, pits his strength against forces he cannot control. We learn from Santiago's struggles how to face insurmountable odds with bravery and courage. Though we find an indifferent and hostile universe as Santiago's stage, his unwillingness to give in to these forces demonstrate a reverence for life's struggles. Santiago's struggle is for dignity and meaning in the face of insurmountable odds. His warrior-like spirit fights off the sharks full-well knowing the fate of his marlin. Santiago loses his marlin in the end, but his struggle to keep it represent a victory because of the dignity and heroism with which he carries out his mission. However, as Santiago acknowledges, he is almost sorry he caught the marlin because he knows the animal and he have a great deal in common as fellow beings in nature. However, he only caught the marlin "through trickery" (Hemingway 99). Santi...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can turn into a very chronic condition that can immensely affect the daily life of an individual. As the name implies, there is a great amount of stress and fear related symptoms that follow a traumatic event. These events can range from something as extreme as being in combat or to something that can happen at any given moment, such as a car accident or assault. In general, we associate this disorder with veterans, as most develop signs of the disorder soon after coming back home, but in reality, PTSD can happen to anyone at any point in their lives. The fifth edition of the American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses lists eight criteria that an individual must meet in order to receive proper diagnosis of the disorder. These criteria are dependent whether one is older or younger than six years old, but are both very similar. Specifically in children, there will be more observable behavior during play and demonstrate more attachment towards the parent or guardian, but otherwise, the symptoms are similar to adults. The first criterion states that the patient must have been involved in the traumatic event, whether they were directly involved, witnessed, or heard about the event that involved someone close to them. Vivid flashbacks and nightmares are also an indicator of the disorder. These are not just any flashbacks and nightmares; they relate to the event and cause a great amount of physiological arousal. When it comes to their sleeping habits, there are constant sleep disturbances that can prevent the individual to fall asleep. There must also be avoidance of anything that reminds the patient of the traumatizing event. The patient will do anythin...
These symptoms may make a person want to deviate his or her normal routine. For example, after a harmful car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a motor. It’s natural to have some of these symptoms after a dangerous event. Sometimes PTSD can have very serious symptoms that can go on for a few weeks. Some people with PTSD don’t show any symptoms for weeks or months. Older people mainly qualifier and teens usually show symptoms more like those seen in adults. They may also show signs of bursting, disrespectful, or mischievous behaviors. Older adults and teens may feel guilty for not preventing loss of deaths. They may also have excessive thoughts of revenge. PTSD can occur at any age, including childhood. Women are more promising to develop PTSD than men, and there is some evidence that shows PTSD can occur throughout family genetics. PTSD can occur at any given time so this affects war veterans and survivors of sexual assault, accidents, disasters, and many other serious